Stardust
by Capsule Corp Princess
Summary: Goten and Bura, two childhood friends who promise to grow up and marry someday, are destined to split apart for good when Goten's illness takes a turn for the worse. When Goten's time is close to running out, it's up to Bura to find a cure.
1. Preview

He stepped out of the shadows holding the little girl's red ball in the palm of his hand, a small smile visible on his face.

She was only three, but Bura could kick a ball farther then a football player, something Buruma was having a hard time wrapping her mind around.

He knelt down on one knee, coming closer to Bura's height, and held out the ball for her to take.

Bura crammed her fingers into her mouth, sparing a shy glance back at her mother, whom was just a black dot poking out of a field of dandelions and green grass. Without meaning to, Bura had strayed away from her parents and wasn't sure if she should take the ball from the stranger or not.

She had no idea that the man holding the ball was her brother from a distant future; a future she would never know.

"Take this back to mother and father," Trunks said, allowing the ball to roll out of his palm and onto the grass.

Bura giggled, but didn't make a move to pick up the ball. She was a very shy girl, and Trunks found it endearing. He hoped she'd stay like that as she got older.

"Play with me?"

"No. I have to go soon, sorry." His eyes darted past Bura and onto the little boy walking towards them. The boy wore green overalls over a white shirt, with a pciture of a cheery turtle stitched over his chest. He had familiar black spiky hair, and Trunks recognized him as Goku's son, the one he never got the chance to meet.

"Goten!" Bura shouted, pointing her finger as she named the boy.

Trunks retreated back into the shadows while Bura's attention was focused on the boy. He perched himself on a thick tree branch like a bird, hidden from the two children. He didn't want them telling their parents that they saw him.

Bura searched the bushes and trees for him, but soon gave up. She turned her back on the ball, snatching the half full bottle of milk from Goten's mouth. The little boy's dark eyes widened and for a second Trunks thought that the boy might cry. Then a yellow winged butterfly flew past the boy's head, and the bottle was soon forgotten.

"Amazing." Trunks whispered, watching Goten catch the butterfly by simply holding out his finger. Other forest animals like deer, rabbits, chipmunks, and birds, came out of the forest to greet the boy, sensing that he was gentler than most humans. " He's like another Goku."

Trunks winced at the thought. Like the mystery behind the appearance of Android 19 and Android 20, he couldn't say for sure why Buruma and Vegeta's first born child wasn't him. It felt like the universe had decided his existences wasn't needed in this new future, just like the universe seemingly decided to create a mini Goku to take over the dead Goku's place.

"GOTEN!" Bura shouted, annoyed that Goten wasn't following her back to their parents. The animals fled into the forest, and Goten tripped and ran to Bura's side. She held the boy's hand, shouting his name each time he tripped and fell and pulled her down with him.

Trunks' eyes started to burn, either from emotion or from staring off into the setting sun without sunglasses, he couldn't say which. He always worried about the people from this time, and frequently came back to check on them in case they needed his help. Meeting Goten and Bura had filled him with a sense of peace.

"They don't need me anymore."

He could see that Goten was destined to become Earth's savior, and Bura would be the technological genius at his side. Gohan and the others would be at his side too, all thanks to Trunks.

He jumped from the tree, bending over to pick up the red ball his sister left behind. He studied it's shiny surface, trying to remember a time when he played with toys, but such a memory never existed for him. He never played. From birth his mother spent hours grooming him to become a genius scientist and Gohan showed him how to survive.

Trunks stopped to pick wild flowers for his mother before returning to his time machine.

For the millionth time he scolded himself for forgetting to bring a camera. Buruma constantly expressed how she wished she'd taken more pictures of Vegeta and their friends while they were alive. Since this was his final trip using the time machine, he'd never get the chance to take pictures of his young mother, father, Gohan, or the others.

The only thing he had to remember his sister was the red ball, and he promised to treasure it always. He prayed that his sister would live a long happy life, spoiled by Vegeta, infinitely loved by Buruma, and fiercely protected by Gohan and Goten ( filling the role as big brother in Trunks' place).

He said his final goodbyes, hopped into the time machine, and returned home.

Trunks was more than surprised when, after little more than thirteen hours passed, Bura appeared in his timeline, all grown up and banging on the front door, screaming for him to help Goten.


	2. Early Memories

Bura's earliest memories were like a jigsaw puzzle, except there weren't enough pieces to form a complex picture, not the 10,000 piece kind anyway:

Airing up latex gloves in place of real baloons. Holding Goten's hand, watching him cringe as the doctor approached him with the largest needle ever created.

Licking lolipops and forcing Goten to share his, which he was always happy to do.

Watching Goten bend over to puke, then rolling her eyes as he complained about not feeling so good.

Feeling the burn of Chichi's hand striking her cheek because she forced Goten to play with her after being told he had a "fever," whatever that was.

Mind numbing boredom on the days Goten was too sick to come over. Tea parties with Vegeta, which were as awkward for her as they were for him.

Pretending to be Yamcha's daughter to pick up women, and getting treated to ice cream. Learning the rules of baseball on the days she watched Yamcha play.

Covering her ears when Marron cried. Their playdates ending with a furious 18 and a worried Kuririn.

Vegeta's boasts about being a Saiyan. Buruma's long boring talks about being gentle when playing with other people.

Bathtimes with Goten, which stopped when she questioned Vegeta about their different body parts.

Constantly being compared to someone named Trunks, whom Vegeta wished was in the very spot Bura stood.

Transforming into a super saiyan because she wanted yellow hair. Teasing Goten for not being able to fly or turn yellow, then becoming furious when he shrugged and said that he was okay with it.

Hating Chichi for blaming her on the days Goten got really sick. Wondering why Gohan sat at his desk all the time when he seemed to hate it.

The memory that she often thought back on was the first of many scary memories she had with Goten: Buruma holding her tightly one lonely night, whispering in her ear that Goten's time to join Goku in the otherworld had finally come. Kneeling beside her bed that night, and hoping Goku would hear her wish for Goten to get better. She wasn't ready for him to stay with Goku, not yet.

The next morning she awoke to Buruma cheering about a new drug that could extend Goten's life!

Waiting beside the car. Clutching Buruma's supportive hand as Gohan pushed Goten out of the hospital in a wheel chair, his peach skin replaced by a lifeless grey. His signature spiky hair was gone, leaving his head as bare as a chicken's egg.

He was frightening to look at, but that didn't stop Bura from kissing him on the cheek. She missed him so much; she couldn't help it. Gohan laughed, Vegeta popped his knuckles,Yamcha whistled, their mothers "awwed," and Goten wiped away the wet kiss with the blanket on his lap.

"I promise i'll find a cure one day and we'll get married," Bura declared. She handed Goten a plush Get Well turtle that she found in the gift shop.

A little color came back to Goten's face." I don't want to marry you." He said.

Bura rolled her eyes." You don't even know what Marry means." She didn't know what it meant either. To marry was something Vegeta repeatedly expressed he didn't want, and Bura figured it had to be something that only girls liked. " We're getting married one day, and that's that," she said, repeating the exact words Buruma shouted at Vegeta every month.

Goten reacted the way he usually did when Bura bossed him around. He shrugged his shoulders and said," Okay."


	3. Flavoring

The timer on Goten's watch went off, and an image of Chichi glowed above the watch's face.

"Time to take your medicine young man." Chichi's voice said in that strict, but loving tone only mothers used. Her image hovered a moment, then disappeared.

Goten ran to the tree where he left his backpack. It was filled with containers of pills he needed to take.

"Wow, you have like a million!" Bura blurted over Goten's shoulder." Can I try one?"

"Um, actually," Goten started to say, but Bura swiftly picked out a pink pill and tossed it in her mouth. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

" Goten don't eat this. It tastes like cat poop!"

"It's supposed to taste like a cherry," Goten said. Bura stuck out her tongue, and Goten picked up the pill and put it into his mouth with the rest of his pills, swallowing with a sour face.

"Do you like taking your medicne?"

Goten shrugged." I have to, or else i'll get really sick and die."

" Are you sure it's not the pills making you sick?" Bura joked. She felt sick just thinking of the pill she had in her mouth.

Goten tighty twisted the lids on the pill bottles, securing them inside. He didn't want a repeat of last week when he unzipped his bag to find his pills crushed, broken and mixed together. He crammed them back into his backpack, pulling out two juiceboxes for him and Bura to drink before zipping it up.

"I know how to make your pills taste better!" Bura raised her arm and punctured the straw through the hole in the box. A flood of apple juice splashed on her fingers, which she effectively cleaned up with her tongue.

"I can't dip them in sugar," Goten said, reading his friend's mind. He often watched Bura dip her carrots and celery sticks into the sugar container at mealtimes when her parents weren't looking. " Mom says too much sugar will shrink my brain and make my teeth turn into worms."

"Yeah that's true." Bura agreed.

They stood drinking their apple juices, content with the silence as their eyes drifted across the park. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, the browning leaves and freezing wind were the only reminders that winter would be upon them, and Goten was destined to spend most of his winter days in the hospital. His body couldn't tolerate the cold.

"What's wrong?" Goten asked, blinking in confusion. For no apparent reason Bura had started to cry.

She bit back her sobs, dismissively shaking her head. She didn't want to admit her fear that he might not survive the coming winter." Would you like to try my chocolate milk?" She held out the apple juice, shaking it lightly so the liquid inside made a splashing sound.

"Bura, that's not - "

"Yes, it is."

Goten knew that Bura didn't have the power to turn apple juice into choclate milk. He took the apple juice anway, gasping in mock astonishment after taking a sip." This is the best chocolate milk i've ever had!"

" Really?"

Goten took another drink and nodded.

"This is great! Goten, for now on you need to tell yourself that your pills taste like chocolate milk." She held up one finger like a teacher." It's a trick scientists have studied. Your pills wont actually be flavored chocolate milk, but that's what you'll taste. You're so lucky. The trick only works on simple minded people, so i've never had it work for me."

Goten sorrowfully lowered his chin, eyes gazing upon Bura's purple boots. " Let's go back to your house." He listlessly strapped on his backpack and didn't say another word. He sensed this made Bura angry, but couldn't bring himself to thank her for teaching him the flavoring trick.


End file.
